U.S. patent application number 09/118286 was filed with the patent office on 2001-08-23 for environmentally sensitive hybrid vehicle.
Invention is credited to MOORE, THOMAS S..
Application Number | 20010015299 09/118286 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46256030 |
Filed Date | 2001-08-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010015299 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MOORE, THOMAS S. |
August 23, 2001 |
ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE HYBRID VEHICLE
Abstract
A hybrid vehicle is provided including an internal combustion
engine mounted in a forward portion of the vehicle for driving
engagement of a pair of wheels attached to a front axle. An
electric motor is mounted in a rear portion of the vehicle for
driving engagement of another pair of wheels through a rear axle. A
set of batteries for powering the electric motor are stored in the
trunk of the vehicle or beneath the trunk floor. A controller is
used for controlling the driving engagement of the pair of axles by
the electric motor and the internal combustion engine. More
particularly, the electric motor is automatically operated to drive
the rear wheels when increased horsepower is demanded such as
during heavy acceleration or high speed cruising or when enhanced
traction is required due to a slip condition.
Inventors: |
MOORE, THOMAS S.; (OXFORD,
MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MARK P CALCATERRA CIMS-483-02-19
CHRYSLER CORPORATION
CHRYSLER TECHNOLOGY CENTER
800 CHRYSLER DRIVE EAST
AUBURN HILLS
MI
483262757
|
Family ID: |
46256030 |
Appl. No.: |
09/118286 |
Filed: |
July 17, 1998 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09118286 |
Jul 17, 1998 |
|
|
|
08380270 |
Jan 30, 1995 |
|
|
|
5908077 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
180/243 ;
180/197; 180/65.25; 903/916; 903/951 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60K 6/52 20130101; B60K
17/356 20130101; B60K 2015/0638 20130101; B60K 1/04 20130101; Y02T
10/62 20130101; B60K 6/48 20130101; B60K 6/40 20130101; B60K 5/04
20130101; B60K 15/063 20130101; Y02T 10/6221 20130101; Y02T 10/6265
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
180/243 ;
180/65.2; 180/197 |
International
Class: |
B60K 017/356; B60K
001/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A hybrid vehicle comprising: a vehicle frame having a pair of
rails disposed in spaced relation relative to each other and
defining a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, a pair of axles spaced
longitudinally from on another and extending substantially
transverse to said longitudinal axis, each with a pair of wheels
operatively mounted thereto for rolling engagement with a surface;
an internal combustion engine mounted for driving engagement of one
pair of said wheels through one of said axles and an electric motor
mounted for driving engagement of the said other pair of wheels
through said other axle; a controller coupled to said electric
motor for selectively actuating said electric motor for driving
said other pair of wheels during periods of increased horsepower
and tractive demands.
2. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 1 further comprising: a
set of batteries disposed transverse to said longitudinal axis of
said vehicle and in a rear storage compartment of said vehicle for
providing an electrical power source to said electric motor.
3. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a
set of batteries disposed substantially equidistant between said
pair of rails of said vehicle frame and aft of a rear one of said
pair of axles.
4. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 1 including a front drive
shaft disposed parallel to said longitudinal axis of said vehicle
interengaging a front one of a pair of axles and said electric
motor.
5. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 4 wherein said fuel tank
is disposed parallel to and opposite a set of batteries serving as
a power source for said electric motor.
6. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said internal
combustion engine is disconnected during braking of said vehicle
and said electric motor is engaged to operate as a generator during
deceleration to recharge a set of batteries.
7. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said internal
combustion engine is a six cylinder engine adapted for burning
gasoline.
8. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 7 wherein said axle
driven by said engine is a front axle of said vehicle and said axle
driven by said electric motor is a rear axle of said vehicle.
9. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 8 wherein said electric
motor is mounted slightly behind said rear axle.
10. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 9 wherein said
controller is disposed forward of said front axle and operates to
control the driving engagement of said rear axle by said electric
motor when said wheels mounted to said front axle slip or said
internal combustion engine experiences heavy acceleration.
11. A hybrid vehicle comprising: a vehicle frame having a pair of
rails disposed in spaced relationship relative to one another and
defining a longitudinal axis of said vehicle, a front axle and a
rear axle spaced longitudinally from one another and extending
substantially transverse to said longitudinal axis of said vehicle,
each of said front and rear axles including a pair of wheels
operatively mounted thereto for rolling engagement with a surface;
an internal combustion engine mounted for driving engagement of
said pair of wheels mounted to said front axle and an electric
motor mounted for driving engagement of said pair of wheels mounted
to said rear axle; and a controller operatively connected to said
internal combustion engine and said electric motor for determining
when said wheels mounted to said rear axle slip and activating said
electric motor to drive said wheels mounted on said front axle in
response thereto.
12. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 11 further comprising: a
set of batteries disposed transverse to said longitudinal axis of
said vehicle and within a rear storage compartment of said vehicle
for providing an electrical power source to said electrical
motor.
13. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 11 further comprising a
set of batteries disposed substantially equidistant between said
pair of rails of said vehicle frame and aft of said rear axle.
14. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 11 including a fuel tank
disposed between said rails between said internal combustion engine
and said electric motor.
15. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 14 wherein said fuel
tank is disposed parallel to and opposite a set of batteries
serving as a power source for said electric motor.
16. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 11 wherein said
controller is disposed forward of said front axle and operates to
determine when increased horsepower is required and activates said
electric motor to drive said wheels mounted on said rear axle in
response thereto.
17. A hybrid vehicle comprising: a vehicle frame having a pair of
rails disposed in spaced relation relative to each other and
defining a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, a front axle and a
rear axle spaced longitudinally from one another and extending
substantially transverse to said longitudinal axis, each of said
front and rear axles having a pair of wheels operatively mounted
thereto for rolling engagement with a surface; an internal
combustion engine mounted for driving engagement of said pair of
wheels mounted to said front axle and an electric motor mounted for
driving engagement of said wheels mounted to said front axle; and a
controller operatively connected to said internal combustion engine
and said electric motor for determining when increased horsepower
is required and activating said electric motor to drive said wheels
mounted on said front axle in response thereto.
18. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 19 further comprising a
set of batteries housed within a rear storage compartment of said
vehicle body and disposed transverse to said longitudinal axis of
said vehicle aft of said rear axle for providing an electric power
source to said electric motor.
19. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 17 including a fuel tank
disposed between said rails and also between said internal
combustion engine and said electric motor.
20. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 19 wherein said fuel
tank is disposed parallel to and opposite a set of batteries
servicing as a power source for said electric motor.
21. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 17 wherein said internal
combustion engine is disconnected during braking of said vehicle
and said electric motor is engaged to operate as a generator during
deceleration to recharge a set of batteries.
22. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 17 wherein said
controller is disposed forward of said front axle and operates to
determine when said wheels mounted on said rear axle slip and
activate said electric motor to drive said wheels mounted on said
rear axle in response thereto.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
application Ser. No. 08/380,270, filed Jan. 30, 1995.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to hybrid vehicles
and, more particularly, to an environmentally sensitive hybrid
vehicle in which an internal combustion engine drives one pair of
wheels and an electric motor drives another pair of wheels.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Hybrid vehicles employing internal combustion engines and
electric motors to drive the vehicle are well known in the art.
Typically, in the past, hybrid vehicles have suffered from being
underpowered or have produced unacceptable levels of potentially
hazardous emissions during stop and go or intermittent operation
such that advantages over single internal combustion engine
vehicles have not been significant. Hybrid vehicles which have
attempted to merge internal combustion engines and electric motors
have also suffered from design deficiencies in the location of
these components in the vehicle. Such previous design deficiencies
have added to the impracticality of such vehicles. Thus, there is a
need in the art to provide a hybrid vehicle which effectively
packages the necessary power components of the vehicle and
selectively applies power from the electric motor to supplement
horsepower and tractive demands.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to
provide an environmentally sensitive hybrid vehicle.
[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
hybrid vehicle which employs an internal combustion engine to drive
one pair of wheels and an electric motor to drive another pair of
wheels.
[0008] It is yet another object of the present invention to only
applied power from the electric motor when increased horsepower or
additional traction is required.
[0009] To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention is a
hybrid vehicle including a vehicle frame having a pair of rails
disposed in spaced relation relative to each other and defining a
longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The hybrid vehicle also includes
a pair of axles spaced longitudinally from one another and
extending substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the
vehicle. On each axle is a pair of wheels operatively mounted
thereto for rolling engagement with a surface. The hybrid vehicle
includes an internal combustion engine mounted for driving
engagement of one pair of the wheels through one of the axles and
an electric motor mounted for driving engagement of the other pair
of wheels through the other axle. The hybrid vehicle's electronic
control unit monitors engine operation to determine when the
vehicle is experiencing extreme acceleration or is approaching top
speed. Thereafter, the electronic control unit activates the
electric motor which applies additional power to the vehicle to
boost horsepower. The electronic control unit also monitors the
wheels in driving engagement with the internal combustion engine
for slippage. When a slip condition is detected, the electronic
control unit activates the electric motor which applies power to
the other pair of wheels to enhance tractive engagement with the
road surface.
[0010] One advantage of the present invention is that an
environmentally sensitive hybrid vehicle is provided. Another
advantage of the present invention is that the hybrid vehicle
employs an internal combustion engine to drive one pair of wheels
and an electric motor to drive another pair of wheels. Yet another
advantage of the present invention is that the hybrid vehicle
normally operates with the internal combustion engine alone and
only selectively applies power from the electric motor. In this
way, the hybrid vehicle is powered during steady state operation by
the internal combustion engine thus reducing fuel consumption
relative to larger horsepower generating internal combustion
engines. Still another advantage of the present invention is that
the hybrid vehicle, during periods of acceleration or under
increased tractive requirements, is provided with an electric motor
engaged to drive the other pair of wheels through the other axle. A
further advantage of the present invention is that the hybrid
vehicle includes all the advantages of gasoline powered engines
while still maintaining design freedom such that a commercially
viable vehicle may be produced.
[0011] Other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better
understood after reading the subsequent description when considered
in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a hybrid
vehicle, according to the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the hybrid vehicle of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a hybrid vehicle, according to
the present invention, is generally shown at 10. Although the
present invention is particularly well suited for use in 4.times.4
type vehicles such as that illustrated, it may also be employed in
other types of vehicles such as passenger cars. The vehicle 10
includes a vehicle frame, generally indicated at 12, having a pair
of rails 14 disposed in spaced relationship relative to one another
and defining a longitudinal axis of the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10
also includes a front axle 16 and a rear axle 18 disposed spaced
from one another and extending substantially transverse to the
longitudinal axis of the vehicle 10. The front axle 16 and rear
axle 18 are operatively connected to the rails 14 as is known in
the art. The front axle 16 includes a pair of front wheels 20 and
the rear axle 18 includes a pair of rear wheels 22. Both front and
rear wheels 20, 22, respectively, are operatively mounted to their
respective axles for rolling engagement with a surface such as a
road as is known in the art.
[0015] The vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body, generally indicated
at 24, which is supported upon the vehicle frame 12. The vehicle
body 24 may have many of the components typically associated with
automotive vehicles but it is to be understood that the vehicle
body 24 may be styled in any way contemplated by the designer and
the following discussion of certain common components of the
vehicle body 24 is by way of description only and not by way of
limitation. More specifically, the vehicle body 24 may include a
front bumper 26 and a rear bumper 28 attached to the rails 14 and a
forward storage compartment 30 and rear storage compartment 32. The
vehicle body 24 may include a windshield 34, rear window 36 and
roof line 38 as commonly known in the art. The vehicle body 24
defines an occupant compartment 40 having any number of sears 42 so
as to accommodate occupants 44. The vehicle body 24 includes a
steering wheel assembly 46 in the forward portion of the occupant
compartment 40 to steer the vehicle 10 as is commonly known in the
art.
[0016] The vehicle 10 further includes an internal combustion
engine 48 mounted for driving engagement of the front wheels 20
through the front axle 16. The engine 48 is mounted along the
longitudinal axis of the vehicle 10 and is supported by the rails
14 as is known in the art. The internal combustion engine 48 is
preferably of the four or six cylinder type adapted for burning a
fuel such as gasoline or diesel. The four or six cylinder internal
combustion engine 48 has better fuel economy than conventional
eight cylinder gasoline or diesel engines. In the preferred
embodiment, the internal combustion engine 48 has a 3.5 liter
capacity which generates 253 horsepower. Further, the vehicle 10
employs a conventional or computer shifted manual transmission 49
to transfer power from the internal combustion engine 48 to the
front axle 16. Thus, the internal combustion engine 48 of the
present invention is sufficient to cruise up to a substantial speed
with a minimized coefficient of drag in the frontal area of the
vehicle 10 and rolling resistance. It should be appreciated that
other suitable types of internal combustion engines and fuel may be
used.
[0017] The vehicle 10 also includes an electric motor 50 mounted
for driving engagement of the rear wheels 22 through the rear axle
18. The vehicle 10 includes a controller 52 disposed forward of the
front axle 16 and below the forward storage compartment 30. The
controller 52 operates to control the driving engagement of the
front axle 16 and rear axle 18 by the electric motor 50 as well as
the engine 48. The vehicle 10 also includes a set of batteries,
generally indicated at 56, mounted or housed within the rear
storage compartment 32 or trunk of the vehicle body 24 and
transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 10. More
specifically, the set of batteries 56 may be disposed aft of the
rear axle 18 and equidistant between the rails 14 of the vehicle
frame 12 as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 1. In the preferred
embodiment, the set of batteries 56 include five (5) power cells or
batteries of the bi-polar, deep cycle acid type and provide an
electrical power source for the electrical motor 50. While five (5)
batteries are shown in the figures, the set of batteries 56 may
include any number of individual batteries or power cells and the
specific number is dictated by other design parameters not
pertinent to the present invention. Alternatively, the batteries 56
may be stored under the floor of the vehicle 10. In addition, the
vehicle 10 includes a fuel tank 58 disposed slightly in front of
the rear axle 18 and parallel to the set of batteries 56. The fuel
tank 58 may be of any capacity but a twenty (20) gallon tank is
contemplated by the vehicle 10 of the present invention. If
desired, the location of the fuel tank 58 and batteries 56 may be
reversed from that illustrated.
[0018] In its operative mode, the internal combustion engine 48 may
be disconnected during braking of the vehicle 10. The controller 52
then signals the electric motor 50 such that it engages to operate
as a generator during deceleration to recharge the batteries 56.
Thus, the electric motor 50 also acts as a brake, slowing the
vehicle 10 during periods when deceleration is required.
[0019] The vehicle 10 is powered during steady state operation by
the internal combustion engine 48 alone, thus providing sufficient
horsepower and traction via front wheels 20 for normal operation
and also maintaining excellent fuel efficiency. During periods of
heavy acceleration, high speeds or under increased tractive
requirements (i.e., when the front wheels 20 slip), the
electrically powered motor 50 is engaged to drive the rear pair of
wheels 22 through the rear axle 18 to increase horsepower and to
enhance tractive engagement with the road surface. More
specifically, the present invention uses a four or six cylinder
engine 48 rather thana a V8 to achieve better fuel economy.
However, for greater performance (0-60, etc.) such as that common
with V8 engines, the electric motor 50 is employed. Further, the
present invention provides a four wheel drive traction platform on
slippery surfaces. When the vehicle ABS/traction control system
senses rear wheel slip, the controller 52 supplies power to the
front wheels 20 via the electric motor 50 to add front wheel drive
traction. This provides an "on demand" four wheel drive feature
automatically without the driver shifting or doing anything. The
batteries 56 necessary for powering the electric motor 50 are
stored in the rear storage compartment 32 or trunk of the vehicle
10. More specifically, the batteries 56 are disposed transverse to
the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 10 and equidistant between the
rails 14 of the vehicle frame 12. The vehicle 10 of the present
invention thus solves a particular problem in conventional hybrid
vehicles with the arrangement and relative duties of the necessary
components of a hybrid vehicle with surprising unanticipated
results.
[0020] The present invention has been described in an illustrative
manner. It is to be understood that the terminology which has been
used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather
than of limitation.
[0021] Many modifications and variations of the present invention
ar possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the
scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be
practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
* * * * *